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05-20-2016, 09:31 PM
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#1
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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Cat Losing Oil Fast, No Smoke
I've found a crazy good deal on a nice bus here locally. It runs great and is a 2000 RE Thomas with a Cat. Its a great bus and is nicely equipped but it loses oil pretty quickly. About a gallon every five to ten miles.
The owner has no idea whats wrong, but it doesn't smoke at all. I'm going to give it a good look again tomorrow, but I'm wondering what you guys think could be the problem.
Are there any bad oil loss problems that anyone knows of with the Cats?
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05-20-2016, 10:23 PM
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#2
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,758
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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check the air tanks.. or possibly the turbo.. im assuming the oil is going down but not showing up on the ground?
-Christopher
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05-20-2016, 11:01 PM
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#3
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cadillackid
check the air tanks.. or possibly the turbo.. im assuming the oil is going down but not showing up on the ground?
-Christopher
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I haven't been under it, only had a quick look and talked to the owner on the phone.
He said its been his church's bus and that it has very low miles and runs great but he oil issue has them wanting to get rid of it.
If its something I can fix for less than a grand I'm thinking I'll buy it and resell it.
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05-20-2016, 11:26 PM
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#4
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Montana
Posts: 1,626
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: All-American R/E
Engine: 8.3 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
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Friend just bought an exhaust manifold for a 3406B...over $1000. Just sayin.....
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05-20-2016, 11:33 PM
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#5
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Winlcok, WA
Posts: 2,233
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If it is pumping oil out that quickly it has to be going somewhere.
If it isn't going out on the ground it has to be going into the coolant, the intake, or into the air system.
If it is the air system you most likely have a failed air compressor--R&R cost less than $1K in addition to the cost of cleaning all of the dirty oil out of the air lines and air tanks.
If it is going into the intake you have a major engine issue--R&R cost well in excess of $1K.
If it is going into the coolant you have a different major engine issue--R&R cost well in excess of $1K.
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05-21-2016, 08:43 AM
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#6
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,758
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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so many things it could be.. almost have to get to the bus in person and see it run... the other thng is if its losing oil that fast theres a good chance its been run dry at some point too...
-Christopher
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05-22-2016, 02:34 AM
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#7
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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Must have been an easy fix. The first guy to look at it bought it.
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05-24-2016, 06:09 AM
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#8
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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So the local shady bus dealer bought this bus for like a grand or two.
Its already on their lot with a price tag of $13,000
Couldn't have been too broken!
Wish I'd just snagged this up. I keep looking for a crazy bargain on something to flip and make a few bucks on to get some cash together for my own project.
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05-24-2016, 07:03 AM
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#9
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,758
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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Oil leaks are sometimes really easy.. An air compressor or turbo feed can often be the source of very fast oil loss in a vehicle ..
Those fixes are often just a simple hose or clamp and you are back up and running..
Christopher
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05-24-2016, 07:26 AM
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#10
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cadillackid
Oil leaks are sometimes really easy.. An air compressor or turbo feed can often be the source of very fast oil loss in a vehicle ..
Those fixes are often just a simple hose or clamp and you are back up and running..
Christopher
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yep.. I didn't get back over there fast enough.
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05-24-2016, 07:49 AM
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#11
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,758
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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where did it end up? BGA?
-Christopher
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05-24-2016, 07:50 AM
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#12
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cadillackid
where did it end up? BGA?
-Christopher
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No a crappy little dealer in DeLand.
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05-24-2016, 07:57 AM
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#13
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,758
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB
No a crappy little dealer in DeLand.
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I dont think I looked in that area.. I looked at a place in orlando.. but their stuff was mainly Trip Busses.. or "coaches" i guess people call them... the only short stuff they had was shuttles.. like airport vans with the bus body on them..
-Christopher
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05-24-2016, 07:58 AM
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#14
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cadillackid
I dont think I looked in that area.. I looked at a place in orlando.. but their stuff was mainly Trip Busses.. or "coaches" i guess people call them... the only short stuff they had was shuttles.. like airport vans with the bus body on them..
-Christopher
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Those airport shuttles live a hard life!
The place in DeLand is nothing more than a buy n flip arrangement. A tiny used car lot thats had nothing but school buses for a year or two. They sell em for about 30% MORE than BGA even sells em for. The DeLand place also has no shop or anything. Just a little office.
They seem to be making a living with about four or five buses on their lot at a time.
I'm trying hard to save the money to buy a small plot of land in the county so I can get in on this!
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05-24-2016, 08:24 AM
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#15
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,758
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB
Those airport shuttles live a hard life!
The place in DeLand is nothing more than a buy n flip arrangement. A tiny used car lot thats had nothing but school buses for a year or two. They sell em for about 30% MORE than BGA even sells em for. The DeLand place also has no shop or anything. Just a little office.
They seem to be making a living with about four or five buses on their lot at a time.
I'm trying hard to save the money to buy a small plot of land in the county so I can get in on this!
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a lot of busses in florida end up exported.. ,maybe he buys up busses and sells them for export.. people seem to pay good money for those as its usually someone elses money they are spending...
I defintely think theres money to be made in flipping busses if you find your Niche..
BGA sells themselves on being more of a full service operation... repair, paint, wash, service ,etc.. their busses cost more than other places.. but their service rates are much less than others.. so it seems like if you sre buying a bus and having lots done to it you make out better than walk in, buy, pay, and leave...
I dont know the iuns and outs of selling busses.. seems like you should be able to sell yourself as a "finder" for someone.. charge a fee to find someone a bus and maybe even arrange delivery of some sort.. but not to be a dealer.. you simply enter into a contract to find them a bus fitting their parameters.. let them yeay or nay and then you bid on it for them or go look at it for them if its local.. work with the seller..
you would not need to be a dealer because you never own the bus or even have to house it... but you see on this forum alone the number of people clueless about anything more than "its yellow and has a steering wheel".. you have the knowledge and can offer a service..
-Christopher
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05-24-2016, 08:36 AM
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#16
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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The plan is to buy a couple auction buses and be less greedy than others. Like BGA I can fill out the simple affidavit to change the title to motorhome. I can paint, remove seats, and raise roofs.
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05-24-2016, 08:44 AM
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#17
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,758
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB
The plan is to buy a couple auction buses and be less greedy than others. Like BGA I can fill out the simple affidavit to change the title to motorhome. I can paint, remove seats, and raise roofs.
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roof raising would be HUGE!! I know theres a lot of people that want raised roofs but find it a daunting task..
or they try it and do it wrong.. (like the bus that BGA is fixing..... they will make a mint on all the stuff that owner wants done to that bus)..
I imagine you cvan charge a pretty decent but still fair price to raise a roof and maybe even reskin after the raise..
once you have your tools, jigs, and technique down you could rock n roll..
-Christopher
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